Question
Are these side effects from Heftenam (generic Atripla) normal?
1 August 2016. Related: All topics, Side effects, South Africa, Starting treatment.
Hi I just started taking Heftenam with Purbac and DS-24. I’ve been having side effects like nausea, fatigue serious dizziness headaches serious abdominal pain including ulcers and a few other things. Is my body rejecting the medication? Is this normal for the first month?
Answer
Hi
Heftenam is a generic version of Atripla.
Many of the symptoms you mention could be related to efavirenz (one of the three drugs it contains). See efavirenz side effects.
The antibiotics in Purbac can also could side effects including rash – so it is important that you talk to your doctor or clinic about how you feel.
If you started treatment with a very low CD4 count (less than 100), these symptoms might related to other infections.
If these are just side effects of efavirenz, they usually get better after a few weeks. But your doctor needs to decide if this is the case.
The side effects do not mean the drugs are now working. If they continue you might need to use easier drugs for you though.
Hi Alinah,
Yes pregnant women can take heftenam, this won’t be an issue for your baby.
Can a pregnant woman take the heftenam pills
Hi Nontobeko,
Heftenam is a another generic version of Atripla. It contains the same HIV drugs as Atroiza.
It’s good to hear you and your husband are trying for a baby. Many women all over the world have had healthy babies when taking HIV meds. Please see this guide to HIV pregnancy and women’s health. There’s lots of info in the guide for you.
Good luck and best wishes.
Hi I have been using atroiza for the past ten years and my viral load is undectatable but this month when I went to collect my medication they gave me heftenam,my concern is that my husband and I are trying for a baby and so I would like to know if it’s safe to be pregnant while taking heftenam
Hi Bongiwe.
When you mean results, which results do you mean? Have you been told what your viral load is and CD4 count?
I have been tested positive for first day at the clinic, but they never show me result but the give ARVs which is blue. They take my blood to laboratory to check after I tried to do second visit. They said my blood to do scan something like barcode is missing.but went to another clinic my result come.I could not even see it. Still now I never my result but I keep on getting my ARVs. I took blood no result that show to me. Even no feed back. What I supposed to do? Cause I am pregnant but still continue take my tablet.how many times should you check be positive or Negative?
Hi Phumzile,
It’s great that you’ve been on Tribuss for 10 years without side effects. And you’re right Heftenam is another manufacturers generic version of Atripla. So it contains the same active meds.
But it’s a good idea to talk to your doctor and ask, if this is a side effect of Heftenam, to switch back to Tribuss. It’s important to also ask your doctor to check that there isn’t another cause for your headaches. Especially as these are unbearable.
And how’s the HIV treatment going? If you have access to your viral load and CD4 count, please let us know the results.
Hi. I have been taking Tribuss for the past 10 years or so and have recently been changed to Heftenam. I have been getting serious headaches, which was not the case with the other generics. The headaches are really unbearable.
Hi Patricia,
I’m so sorry to hear this news about your sister.
However, some countries (but not all) can use this HIV medication as post exposure prophylaxis (PEP). PEP is taken for 28 days after possible exposure to HIV. It’s used to try to stop HIV infection. If this is the case your sister would have tested HIV negative.
If you live in South Africa you can contact the Treatment Action Campaign. They should be able to help your sister with local support.
does this mean if you take heftenam I am diagnose with HIV or what.
I am worried as my sister child is taking this meds but told me that she was tested negative which I don’t believe her.
month ago she told me that she was raped and kept quite